Sora's Double
by Heroine of the Valley
Summary: Saw 'The Earthquake of Metalgreymon' the other day and it gave me this idea. Another one of my 'what if' stories. Yes, it's a Taiora!


****

Sora's Double

__

I do not own Digimon, I just love it. And maybe someday I'll be writing my own anime (Night Duchess) so I might not have to write these silly disclaimers anymore!

"What are you going to do to me?" Sora demanded, raising her head.

"All in good time, my dear," Datamon told her.

__

He actually expects me to be patient? Sora thought. _I've got to get out of here! Tai, where are you?_ Then she turned her head to see an image of herself on the other metal bed, "hey, wait, that's---me!"

When the commotion out side started, Datamon moved her to another room, one that Izzy couldn't find on his computer. It was out of the open. But Sora could see the old room where she was in. Kinda like a one way mirror, she could see out the room, but the person inside couldn't see her in the other dark room. Datamon made a copy of her, her digimon and her crest.

"My friends will come for me," she grunted, "you hear that, Datamon? My friends will come!"

"Alright, Tai," Izzy told him, "this is it. Good luck."

"Gather your courage!" Agumon said encouragingly.

__

Yeah, courage. I could sure use some of that right now. He swallowed and put his hand through the wall. His crest began to glow and then he stepped through it. "I made it! Whew!" A few yards away stood a lifeless Sora. "Sora, are you alright?" he ran to Sora, "did that overgrown coffee maker hurt you? Sora, snap out of it, it's me!"

Sora stared out into space. 

Tai snapped his fingers and then she blinked. Her crimson eyes were empty. They no longer had the usual spark. 

"Sora, are you hurt?"

"I am….unharmed," she said in monotone. "Come, let's flee. I know of a way out."

Tai raised an eyebrow. Sora never talked that way to him before. He followed her out, _well, at least she's okay._ He thought.

"No Tai!" the real Sora shouted, banging her fists on the wall. "You got the wrong Sora! I'm right over here! Can't you see me?" She could see him, couldn't he see her?

"Tai, that's not me!" Biyomon cried, "don't' you know a real pretty bird digimon when you see one?"

Sora sank to the ground and gave up, "it's no use…"

***THREE YEARS LATER*** (SEASON 02)

The fake Sora placed flowers in a walk in fridge after trimming the stems. 

"Honey, can you wash the windows?" her mom asked.

"Affirmative," she said. 

Mrs. Takenouchi raised an eyebrow. "Affirmative?"

She didn't wash the windows in circles like some people usually do. Instead, she used ridged straight strokes, her arm bent and her wrist straight. Tai ran up to her, "hey, Sora!" 

She turned around, "greetings."

"Mrs. Takenouchi, can I borrow your daughter for a couple of minutes?" Tai asked.

"As long as you bring her right back!" she laughed. 

Tai laughed too but the fake Sora was silent. She didn't even smile. In fact, since Tai found her, she didn't cry, frown, smile, laugh, scowl, sneer or even raised her voice. The most movement of her face was when the time she blinked after Tai snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. She always spoke in a low monotone voice, like an android.

"Come on Sora," Tai said, taking her hand, "I need to talk to you about something." He led her to the park and they sat on a park bench. "This is going to sound kinda stupid, but well…"

"You have something you wish to discuss with me?" she asked. 

Tai put his feelings aside and said something else, "hey, remember when we were younger and we played that soccer game? It was the lions we played and we--"

"Correction--it was not the lions--it was the braves," she corrected. "Monday September twelve 1996." (I don't know the year they're supposed to be in! I think it's the future…) "The ending score was Tigers 22 and Braves 21. We won."

"Yeah, you were the won who made the score, Sora, remember?"

"Yes, I kicked the ball in the goal." She said without emotion.

"You were so happy, Sora," Tai recalled, "I never seen you so happy! Remember how you felt?"

Sora paused, "felt? Happy??"

"Yeah, you were happy, Sora." Tai raised an eyebrow and leaned closer. "You were screaming and yelling and laughing and you were hugging everyone on the team…you even kissed me on the cheek because you were so happy. It was a close game, you kicked the ball into the goal right at the sound of the buzzer."

The fake Sora didn't remember that part and she forgot it again after Tai had told her. When the fake Sora was created, she took Sora's memory. She could remember birthdays, events and holidays like there was a mental calendar processed inside of her. But she remembered data, nothing more. She didn't know Sora's feelings or emotions, or she wouldn't known that information about the game so long ago. She didn't' even know Sora's favorite food or color. And she wasn't supposed to know stuff like that. Sora never forgot it, especially that kiss she gave Tai. She did that without thinking, but she nor did Tai didn't even seem to mind.

****Flashback in Tai's POV****

I tripped over something. Maybe another hole in the field. It was raining. Puddles were everywhere. I looked up to see Sora dribbling the ball like lightning. She was going to make it. "Come on Sora," I gasped, pulling myself up. There was just a few seconds left on the clock and we were tied 21-21. The braves were a tough team. "Go for it Sora!" I shouted.

"4-3-2-1!"

The crowd chanted the countdown and Sora had kicked the ball right at the sound of the buzzer. I laughed and threw my arms in the air. Sora stood looking amazed and pleased with herself and turned around and around laughing as the rain fell on her pretty red hair. The hair I longed to run my fingers through. I was so lucky and proud to have her on my team.

"I did it Tai!" she shouted to me from across the field. The teammates ran to her and she hugged them all. 

"Sora, you did it! I'm so proud of you!" I shouted back to her. She ran to me, jumped and I caught her as she threw her arms around my neck. I was laughing like Kari when I would sometimes tickle her half to death. Sora was laughing the same way. I swung her around as we laughed and then I felt her lips tap my cheek. I began to blush and so did Sora, but I was glad she did it. She looked at me almost apologetically for a moment and then she smiled and hugged my neck again. It was the most…

****End Flashback****

"--happiest day of my life," Tai went on, hurt and surprised that Sora didn't remember. "Yours too, wasn't it? You weren't even that happy when we saved the digiworld!"

"Is this what you wanted to tell me?" Sora asked. Her words were as empty as her eyes.

"No," Tai said. "I um, wanted to tell you that I'm…well…Sora, gee, man, I had the crest of courage and sometimes I think I should've gotten the crest of cowardliness!"

Sora was silent and waited for him to speak. The real Sora would have said, "Tai, just spit it out! And you do deserve the crest of courage so don't you forget it!"

"Well, Sora, I'm…in love with you." He admitted, "yeah, I've been in love for you for a long, long time."

But the fake Sora did not understand this. Love? What's that? She took it as nothing, "thank you." She said. But the real Sora would've said, "Tai--you're so sweet! I love you too!" and she would hug and kiss him.

"That's all you have to say?" Tai mumbled. "I guess I took you by surprise, huh?" he forced a laugh and then leaned forward to kiss her lips.

The fake Sora's programming went hay-wire as their lips touched. She almost faded out, like a television screen in the middle of a tornado. She sat still and Tai sat back, surprised by her reaction. 

__

It's like she doesn't even care about me, Tai thought. "I better get going, later Sora." He stood up.

"Farewell." She said.

__

I thought Sora would understand, she being the crest holder of love and all. Tai thought. _Oh yeah, what was I thinking? Apoclysmon destroyed our tags and crests. Why would she still have love for me? But, how else was she able to get Birdramon to digivolve?_

***Flashback in Tai's POV***

Myotimon attacked us again. I was really starting to hate that guy! Sora looked at her digimon, Biyomon and whispered something I could not quite catch. Sora has acted so different lately, especially since the time I found her in the pyramid after Datamon took her hostage. Biyomon has also been acting strangely. It was like Sora was a new person and Biyomon a new digimon. Then Sora and Biyomon walked to Myotismon and Biyomon digivolved to Birdramon and then to Garudamon after taking a few attacks. Biyomon was weak from some poison dart, but she fought anyway.

"Sora, don't worry," I told her, "she'll be okay."

"Worry?" she muttered, "I do not have reason to worry. Birdramon is capable of digigivolving and protecting us." 

I was surprised. Sora didn't say anything about love. I mean, if she loved her digimon, if she ever had love in her life before, how else was Garudamon suppose to digivolve? Garudamon's attack stopped Myotismon and he left.

****End Flashback****

Tai sat down on his bed. Sora has defiantly changed since he found her in the pyramid. Was she mad at him for getting to her too late or something? 

"Tai, we need to go to the digiworld!" Kari shouted, "Agumon and Biyomon are in trouble!"

"Are you serious?" Tai asked, standing up.

"You doubt me?" Kari demanded.

"It's that digimon emperor," Gatomon grumbled. "We have to stop him before he ruins everything."

"I'll meet you there, I'll get Sora."

"Alright, but hurry!"

The fake Sora still wore the same outfit from what Sora wore in the digiworld, except it was bigger since Sora grew. The same blue-green hat, the yellow shirt and the blue jeans. Apparently she was able to grow like a normal human, well, _physically grow_ anyway. Not grow mentally or emotionally like real humans do.

The real Sora however was still in the pyramid in the digital world. She did find a way out of the pyramid, but she stayed around it because it was safer than being outside where the digimon emperor was. He didn't even know the pyramid was there. 

"Sora, maybe the others will come looking for you." Biyomon said in hopes of cheering her up. 

"yeah, maybe they found a wire in the fake copy of me and they're on their way." Sora said bitterly, sitting on the floor with her knees to her chest, her arms on her knees. 

Biyomon sighed.

"I'm sorry, Biyomon," Sora said when she realized her words, "I'm just not used to having another me around. It bothers the heck out me to know that there's something out there that looks like me and my friends can't see that it's not the real me." She clenched her fist, _especially Tai. He knows me better than anyone._ Then she heard noises outside the pyramid. "What's that noise?"

"Let Biyomon and Agumon go!" Tai demanded from the digimon emperor.

"I don't think so," Ken grumbled.

"You jerk!" Davis snarled, "just wait until I get my hands on you! DIGIARMOR ENERGIZE!"

"VEEMON DIGIVOVLE TO….FLAMEDRAMON, THE FIRE OF COURAGE!" 

Sora peaked behind the pyramid wall and saw Tai and the others. _Wow, Biyomon was right. Hey, there's that copy of me. _Sora started to run after the fake her, "Hey, you!"

There was a gust of smoke as Flamedramon threw a firerocket at Ken and his evil digimon slaves. When the smoke cleared, they saw the two Sora's wrestling with each other. When Ken saw they were distracted, he left until another time. Part of him told him to take care of them now, but another told him to leave. For some reason, he chose to leave them alone. 

"I'll be back!" Ken shouted and he fled the premises to his dark castle.

"Two Sora's?" Izzy mumbled.

"Which one is the real one?" Kari asked, "can you tell?"

"No, I can't. I knew I should've brought my laptop with me!"

"Great Izzy," Tai groaned, "the one time we really need it you don't have it!"

"I'm the real Sora!" the real Sora cried.

"I'm the real Sora," the fake Sora said.

"Shut up!" Sora snarled and punched the fake Sora in the face. She was waiting to do that ever since she saw the fake one of her walk away with Tai. Sure, it was like fighting with a mirror, hitting her own image. It was odd, yes, but Sora didn't care. She was just too angry.

"Spiral Twister!" the real Biyomon called as the green spirals went to the fake one.

"Now there's two biyomon's?" TK muttered.

"Which one has a dark ring?" Cody asked.

"Neither of them do," TK answered, "it's so strange."

__

I've got to do something, Tai thought. _I'm the only one who could choose the real Sora. Man, if I ever had courage, I could use it now. What do I say?_ He concentrated hard on the two Sora's fighting each other. Then he remembered what happened today. He kissed Sora but she didn't do anything. Maybe…."Sora!" Tai shouted, taking a few steps forward, "tell me the most happiest moment of your life!"

The fake Sora turned around and looked confused, the first time she showed any emotion. "Happiness?" she muttered.

"That's silly, Tai!" the real Sora said, speaking at the same time as her fake counterpart, "It was the game with the braves, don't you remember?"

Tai laughed and pointed at the fake Sora, "that's the fake one!" and then he ran to the real Sora, "and _here's _the real one!" he threw his arms around her and pulled her up as she wrapped her arms around his neck, _right where she should be_. He thought.

The fake Sora looked at the couple hold each other. Her programming went hay wire again. She sniffed and her lip trembled and her eye sparkled with a tear. It fell down her cheek. She finally began to know what it was like to feel and it was too much for her programming. With the real Sora found, she had no more use. More of Sora's memories filled her programming. Even her likes and dislikes and desires. And she felt Sora's feelings. She knew how she felt about Tai and she wasn't able to feel that way. "Digi-clone 0001 deleted," she mumbled and then she disappeared from the feet up to her head. The fake Biyomon couldn't exist no longer with the clone of Sora so it disappeared with Sora. The copy of Sora's crest exploded into a million pieces.

"Sora had a clone?" TK gasped, "then how…"

"Tai, you idiot!" Sora said when she pulled away, "how could you not notice that was a copy of me from the beginning?"

"What?" Tai mumbled.

"Datamon made a copy of myself. That wasn't really me who you saved, that was my clone. How come you didn't notice it?"

Tai blushed, "hey I had the crest of courage, not the crest of knowledge, okay? Izzy was supposed to figure that out!"

"I want to go home," Sora said, "I've been here way too long!"

Tai nodded, "okay, let's go. There's something very important I need to tell you."

"Yeah, let's go." Davis turned around to the monitor, "I've got loads of homework!"

Tai took Sora back to the park bench where he had told the fake Sora his true feelings. He sat down. He said it once, she should be able to say it again, right? So why was he so quiet? _Man, I must be losing it!_ He thought.

Sora sat and waited patiently for him to start. She knew he had something important to tell her.

"Sora, this might sound kinda weird," he began, "but you know I care a lot about you."

"Yeah, we're friends, Tai." She said. "We've been friends for like forever."

He took her hand, "what I'm trying to say is, well," he paused.

"Yes, Tai?" she said, "go ahead. I'll listen to whatever you have to say." She looked up at him with her shining crimson eyes, "what is it?"

"I love you, Sora Takenouchi."

She smiled, "thank you."

Tai's mouth dropped open. That wasn't the words he was expecting.

"I, um, love you too, Tai," she admitted. "Tai Kamiya, I've loved you since I saw you walk away with my clone. I was so hurt that you didn't see through her. I was afraid I'd never see you again. But I don't have to worry about that now, huh? I'm back now and that's all that really matters."

Tai got his nerves back and he leaned forward to kiss her. A kiss long, long over due. One Sora was all he needed. Two was too much, especially when one of them was a fake. Now they had a new happier day of their lives.

****

The End.


End file.
